Project Gutenberg's Picturesque Quebec, by James Macpherson Le Moine
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Project Gutenberg's Picturesque Quebec, by James MacPherson Le Moine Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the header without written permission. Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. **Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** **eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** *****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** Title: Picturesque Quebec Author: James MacPherson Le Moine Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7033] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on February 25, 2003] Edition: 10 Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PICTURESQUE QUEBEC *** This eBook was produced by Anne Soulard, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. This file was produced from images generously made available by the Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions. PICTURESQUE QUEBEC BY J. M. LEMOINE TO THE CITIZENS OF QUEBEC THIS VOLUME IS Respectfully Inscribed BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE This volume, purporting to be a sequel to "QUEBEC PAST AND PRESENT," published in 1876, is intended to complete the history of the city. New and interesting details will be found in these pages, about the locality, where Samuel de Champlain located his settlement in 1608, together with a rapid glance at incidents, sights, objects, edifices, city gates and other improvements, both ancient and modern, which an antiquarian's ramble round the streets, squares, promenades, monuments, public and private edifices, &c., may disclose. It will, it is hoped, be found a copious repository of historical, topographical, legendary, industrial and antiquarian lore-- garnered not without some trouble from authorities difficult of access to the general reader. May it prove not merely a faithful mirror of the past, but also an authentic record of the present! THE SKETCH OF THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC will take the tourist or student of history beyond the ramparts of Old Stadacona, to the memorable area--the Plains of Abraham--where, one century back and more, took place the hard- fought duel which caused the collapse of French power in the New World, established British rule on our shores, and hastened the birth of the great Commonwealth founded by George Washington, by removing from the British Provinces, south of us, the counterpoise of French dominion. More than once French Canada had threatened the New England Settlements; more than once it had acted like a barrier to the expansion and consolidation of the conquering Anglo-Saxon race. THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC are, indeed, classic soil, trodden by the footsteps of many of the most remarkable men in American History: Cartier, Champlain, Phipps, d'Iberville, Laval, Frontenac, La Galissonnere, Wolfe, Montcalm, Levis, Amherst, Murray, Guy Carleton, Nelson, Cook, Bougainville, Jervis, Montgomery, Arnold, DeSalaberry, Brock and others. Here, in early times, on the shore of the majestic St. Lawrence, stood the wigwam and canoe of the marauding savage; here, was heard the clang of French sabre and Scotch claymore in deadly encounter--the din of battle on the tented field; here,--but no further--had surged the wave of American invasion; here, have bivouaced on more than one gory battle- field, the gay warrior from the banks of the Seine, the staunch musketeers of Old England, the unerring riflemen of New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Another spot calculated to interest us is the vast expanse from the Plains to Cap Rouge, round by Ste. Foye to the city, for which I intend to use its former more general name, Sillery: the ground is not new for us, as its annals and country seats furnished, in 1865, materials for sketches, published that year under the title of _Maple Leaves_. These sketches having long since disappeared from book-stores, at the request of several enlightened patrons, I re-publish from them some selections, with anecdotes and annotations. Several other sites round Quebec--Beauport, Charlesbourg, the Falls of Montmorency and of the Chaudiere, Chateau Bigot, Lorette and its Hurons--will, of necessity, find a resting place in this repertory of Quebec history, which closes a labour of love, the series of works on Canada, commenced by me in 1861. In order to enhance the usefulness of this work, extensive and varied historical matter has been included in the appendix for reference. To my many friends, whose notes and advice have been so freely placed at my disposal, I return my grateful thanks. J. M. LEMOINE. SPENCER GRANGE, December, 1881. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF QUEBEC Quebec as seen by Tourists--Descriptions--by Francis Parkman--M. Sand-- Eliot Warburton--Thoreau--Mrs. Moodie--Charles Dickens--Marmier--Sir Charles Dilke--Henry Ward Beecher--Professor Silliman--Charles Lever-- Capt. Butler--Alfred Hawkins--Hon. P. J. O. Chauveau. CHAPTER II. FOUNDATION OF QUEBEC. Samuel de Champlain--_L'Abitation_--the Dwelling of Champlain--Chief Donaconna--Jacques Cartier's Landing--Interview between Cartier and Donaconna. CHAPTER III. THE ANCIENT CAPITAL. Streets and By-ways of the Old City--Names of Famous Men preserved by Street Names--Dangerous Streets. THE UPPER TOWN. Louis Hebert, the First Resident--The First Street--The First Horse-- Marquis de Tracy--St. Louis Street--The Quebec Gazette--William Brown-- Samuel Neilson--Dr. Wilkie--Lawyers--Madame Pean--Montgomery's Assault-- Death of Montcalm--SOCIETY IN EARLY ENGLISH TIMES--Theatre--Early Society Poets--Literature--United Empire Loyalists,--ST. LOUIS HOTEL--THE FRECHETTE DINNER--Mr. Frechette's Speech--Mr. Lamier's Speech--Mr. Stewart's Speech--Mr. LeMay's, Speech---Mr. LeMoine's Speech---FORT ST. LOUIS--CHATEAU ST. LOUIS--HALDIMAND CASTLE--The Council--Dress of the Councillors--A Braggart Mohawk Hanged--The New Chateau--Fealty and Homage--Re-building by Frontenac--Quebec Agricultural Society--The Loyal League--An Antique Stone--Lord Edward Fitzgerald--The Duke of Richmond-- Sir Peregrine Maitland--John Galt--Lord Dorchester--Isaac Weld--Dufferin Terrace--Laying of Corner Stone--Rev. Dr. Sparks--St. Andrew's Church-- The Lymburners--Hugh McQuarters James Thompson--The Rosses--The Georges-- Parloir Street--Jupiter Street--St. George Street--LAVAL UNIVERSITY-- Palace Street--Statue of General Wolfe--St. Famille Street--St. Stanislas Street--Trinity Chapel--Theatre Royal--THE LITERARY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY--Mr. LeMoine's Lecture on Arnold's Assault--The Centenary Fete-- The Jesuit's Church--The Jesuit's Barracks--The Recollet Convent--The Palace--Couillard Street--The Union Hotel--The Prisoners of 1812--Bell's Cavalry--Rue du Tresor--Royal Notaries--St. John Street--Le Club des Anciens--La Crucifix Outrage--Olden Times in the Ancient Capital--Durham Terrace. THE LOWER TOWN. Le Chien d'Or--The Elevator--Mountain Hill--Landing of the Marquis de Tracy--Landing of the Earl of Durham--The Inconstants--St. Peter Street-- Jean Tache--The Chronicle Building--The Neptune Inn--Press Gangs at Quebec--Notre Dame Des Victoires--Notre Dame Street--Dalhousie Street--- Public Whipping--Sous-le-Fort Street--The Cul-de-Sac--The King's Wharf--A Fighting Stevedore--M. Marmier--Sault-au-Matelot Street--Dog Lane--St. Paul Street--Pointe a Carcy--The Duke of Saxe Weimar. ST. ROCH'S SUBURBS. La Friponne--The Intendant Bigot--The Intendant's Palace--La Vacherie-- Cote a Coton--St. Valier Street--The Blue House--Horatio Nelson in Quebec --Dorchester Bridge--Crown Street--The Harbour Docks--The Graving Dock at Levis. THE GATES OF QUEBEC. The New Gates--The Kent Gate--The Citadel Gates--Theller and Dodge's Escape from the Citadel--The Men of '37. CHAPTER IV. SUBURBS OF QUEBEC. St. Louis Road--Parliament Buildings--Bleak House--Martello Towers-- Buttes-a-Nepveu--Wolfe's Landing Place--Ste. Foye Road--Association Hall. CHAPTER V. MODERN QUEBEC. City Government--Boundaries of the Wards--War Department Property. PART II. THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. SILLERY OUR COUNTRY SEATS THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM THE BATTLE-FIELD BATTLE-FIELD PARK THE DUKE OF KENT'S LODGE--MONTMORENCI L'ASYLE CHAMPETRE MARCHMONT--Anecdote of Wolfe's Army WOLFESFIELD--Carlyle's Account of the Capture of Quebec ELM GROVE THORNHILL SPENCER WOOD--The Perceval Family--A Fete Champetre in 1809 SPENCER GRANGE--Audubon at Quebec BAGATELLE COTTAGE WOODFIELD SOUS LES BOIS SILLERY HOUSE ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH--SILLERY MOUNT HERMON BARDFIELD--The Mountain Family BENMORE--The Sparrows and Quails CLERMONT THE WILD FLOWERS OF SILLERY BEAUVOIR MONTAGUE COTTAGE--The History of Emily Montague KIRK ELLA CATARACOUI ROSEWOOD RAVENSWOOD THE WOODS OF SILLERY LONGWOOD MEADOWBANKS--A Raid in 1775 THE HIGHLANDS WINTER FOX HUNTING IN CANADA CAP ROUGE COTTAGE BEAUSEJOUR BELMONT--Irish Education in the Olden Time HOLLAND FARM THE HOLLAND TREE--A Scandal of the last Century HAMWOOD BIJOU--Anecdote of Wolfe's Army MORTON LODGE WESTFIELD COUCY-LE-CASTEL RINGFIELD--Journal of Chevalier Johnstone CASTOR VILLE THE JOYS OF WINTER THE MANOR HOUSE--BEAUPORT--The Inscription MOUNT LILAC--Beauport A VISIT TO INDIAN LORETTE TAHOURENCHE AND THE HURONS OF LORETTE INDIAN CUSTOMS CHATEAU BIGOT--The Algonquin Maid--Marmette's Romance THE FALLS OF THE CHAUDIERE APPENDIX. Jacques Cartier's Officers and Crew Jacques Quartier, the Pilot Discovery of the Remains of Jacques Cartier's Vessel The Bronze Cannon The French who remained after the Capitulation of 1629 The Arms of the Dominion Militia Uniforms Horses Ship-building at Quebec under French Domination The Conquest of New York The French Refugees of Oxford, Mass.